I've decided to take a walk to explore the world around me. If you'd like to come along, I'll share my thoughts with you on what I've found on this journey.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Pistol Packing Momma

A Harrisburg Pennsylvania woman has sued a sheriff for revoking her concealed-weapons permit after she upset fellow parents by wearing her holstered pistol to her 5-year-old daughter’s soccer game.

Now, is there any reason to wonder why parents don’t want to volunteer to coach or officiate at these kinds of games? Parents now toting guns! Let’s see, I bet the calls go favorably for Mrs. Hain’s daughter! Or else!

Meleanie Hain now alleges in her federal lawsuit that Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo violated her Second Amendment rights and prosecuted her maliciously when he took away her permit in September.

Mrs. Hain, 30, successfully appealed the revocation last month, although the judge who restored her permit questioned her judgment and said she “scared the devil” out of others who attended the September 11 soccer game. You know, I know what the judge meant. But, he needs to rethink some of his theology, if he believes his statement is true! If only that’s all it took to scare the devil out of people!

Mrs. Hain said last Monday that her baby-sitting service has suffered, her children have been harassed, and she has been ostracized by her neighbors because of DeLeo’s actions. In one instance, she said, a neighbor who saw her in a local store had the manager ask her to leave because she was carrying her handgun.

Did you read that? This woman runs a baby-sitting service? Well, at least they should be safe and well protected as long as she is “packing heat,” unless one of the children accidently got their hands on her gun!

Mrs. Hain is being joined in the lawsuit by her husband, Scott, who contends he has lost his wife’s “companionship, consortium, society, and services” as a result of the harm she has suffered. “Consortium, society, and services”? Is that just a nice legal way of saying “sex”?

So, for the question of the day, should a parent be allowed to wear a holstered gun to soccer games, community events, school functions?

13 comments:

Yes, but only if he or she is law enforcement. There is a nice gentleman who stands in the front of our church every Sunday. He is a police officer and he has a gun. He doesn't scare me. Why is he there? I've never asked. Maybe that should scare me? Hmm. Anyway, one of the first things I would ask a paid babysitter is "do you have a gun in the house". If "yes". Is it loaded and where do you keep it? If any answer was unsatisfactory I would not hire that babysitter.

I hate guns. I respect our right to bear arms, but I really hate them.

I fully support Mrs. Hain's right to take that gun anywhere at anytime. Just because it makes other people uncomfortable doesn't mean she is breaking the law. If the state says she can have it (or in my opinion the U.S. Constitution), then who are we to say no.

Don't remember if I've mentioned this before or not, but I was in a physical rehab hospital with Justin who was shot at Wedgewood Baptist Church. He was in the room next to mine. I would see him when we'd be in the main workout room. The pictures of him have stuck in my head all this time. I've often been asked if that has any influence on my position about guns in church buildings.

The public schools here have just started allowing all the principals to have a hand gun. They have been trained in how to use them. Does that make me feel more or less comfortable about two of our three sons attending public schools??

It's kind of like my talking about "the highly secure gated community" in which we currently live. People are people no matter where they might be. Just because a person carries a gun does not make them bad. Nor does not carrying one make a person good.

As I was getting the she-sprog to sleep, it occurred to me why this particular case bothered me.

She had a right to carry a CONCEALED weapon. From the way it is written, she was carrying it so that it was obvious she had it. To me, that is flaunting it, and I think that is what makes it seem overkill (no pun intended) for me. Had she had it in her purse, or even under her shirt, there would have been no problem. But, she had to go all Wyatt Earp on them.

I'm not sure, based just on what is written here, and not knowing her at all, that she needs to have the permit.

Karma is right. Concealed would have been better. I live in Oklahoma where nearly EVERYONE carries a gun. We have "No Guns" signs at some stores and all banks! (BANKS!!!)

Just put the gun in your purse like all of the other ladies. No need to flaunt it; everyone assumes you have one anyway! (well, they would if you lived in OK) I'm pretty sure there will be at least 6 guns in church this morning. They'll all be in purses or shoulder harnesses; this is how we roll!

[seen on a bumper sticker here in OK: You'll get my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.]

Steve, I do not have a problem with said person carry a gun at my child's soccer game. That argument is an emotional argument and the Constitution is not an emotional document. It is a legal document. Either we abide by it in all circumstances regardless of feelings or we let someone else's feelings determine what it means. I do not like the idea of emotions running public policy. That is how we end up with redistributive policies and a nanny state.

Michael, you and I wouldn't disagree much here, more than likely. However, it just worries me with this woman carrying a gun to a soccer game. I just don't see why it is necessary, I really don't. So, I suppose she has the freedom, well, I know she has the freedom to do it. I suppose the other parents have the same right not to attend the soccer games as long as she packs a gun. I wonder, what will happen if ALL the parents boycott the games? Remember, those parents have that right. However, in the end, the children are the ones to suffer--whether she packs or not.

Just because I have a right to do something does not necessarily mean that I can do it however I want. I have earned the right and privilege to drive a motor vehicle. That does not mean that I can drive through a "no trespassing" sign.

There is a lot of information that is not here that could have been a mitigating factor.

Had this woman been a one of "those" parents at a game that is always yelling at the refs, other parents, etc?

Does she have a reputation and/or history of being aggressive, threatening or hostile to other people?

Was it JUST her carrying the weapon that upset the other parents, or was it how she was acting in addition to her packing?

If she was just sitting peacefully, watching her child play soccer, and not acting "out of line" at all, then, yes, the sheriff was probably out of line. But, most people that I know that would openly carry a weapon do so to establish some kind of "presence."

I've tried to find some more of the story, but all i can find is that a judge ruled with her and restored her permit. One anecdote (a comment on a blog either made by her one or one of her friends) did say that in a wal-mart incident, the manager asked her to not have it visible, so she left and secured it in her car and returned.

According to one article I read, the sheriff revoked it after several other parents' complained. From the article, "He said he based his decision on a section of state law that prohibits concealed-weapons permits from being given to people whose character and reputation make them a danger to public safety."

According to this one, it does sound like he probably overstepped his role, unless there were other factors that indicated she had a character or reputation to make them a danger.

The problem here is that this lady has not broken the law. We are either a nation of laws or we are not a nation of laws. We can't pick and choose which laws we want to follow. This lady has not broken a law. We can't legislate against every possibility. At some point, you just have to live and let live. Life is full of risks, that doesn't mean we legislate risk away. No. We live with it and accept it as part of living in a free society.

Just Who I Am

M. Steve Heartsill resides in Chelsea, Alabama, with his wife, son, and overly pampered dog. If you keep reading this blog, you'll come to know more about each of them, along with a whole slew of other folks. Would love to hear from you and learn how you are putting your toes in the water.